ASSESSMENT OF ADOPTION OF GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND MOST CULTIVATED ARABLE CROPS AMONG ARABLE CROP FARMERS IN BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and the most cultivated arable crops among farmers in Borno State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 410 respondents from the study areas. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Male (73.85%) dominated arable crop production, (32.82%) had secondary education. The findings revealed that maize (82.56%), Bambara nut (76.15%) and groundnut (73.07%) were the most commonly cultivated crops. The most frequently adopted GAPs include fertilizer application (80.17%), seed treatment (65.91%), and proper spacing (64.79%). The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that farm size (P<0.05), cooperative membership (P<0.01), and access to credit (P<0.01) were significant in influencing the adoption of GAP in the study area. The results also revealed that the major constraints to adoption of GAP were inadequate input supply (78.46%), lack of attending meeting and training (74.6%), insecurity (74.6%), and poor storage facilities (73.08%) to mention few. The study concluded that farm size, membership of association and access to credit were the factor influencing the adoption of GAP in the study area. This study recommends that; Development partners and NGOs should collaborate with research institutions to introduce and scale up climate-smart GAP technologies that are adaptable to the local environment. Risk management tools such as weather-indexed insurance schemes should also be introduced.